Pasta Shells with Roasted Beetroot, Goats Cheese & Fennel

16072012

Yes, I do rather love beetroot. Sorry if you are feeling somewhat un-enamoured by that fact (it’s a word on this blog it is), and sorry too if you think I should change my blog’s name to ‘afoodieliveshere, and she only eats beetroot’. You see, I keep buying these bulk bags of it, and well there’s just always MORE. But this, well this dish is just beautifully simple and the earthiness of the beetroot lends a whole new dimension to the end result.
Also, with it being meat-free Monday and all, that means that I can once again point a surreptitious finger in the general direction of my soap box, and my MFMonday ramblings…

WHAT TO DO
1. Pre-heat oven to 180C. Peel and chop beetroot and drizzle with the olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Place in an oven-proof dish and bake for 20-30 minutes, or until cooked through.

2. When the beetroot is almost ready, cook the pasta according to packet instructions; drain, drizzle with a little olive oil and then toss gently together with the beetroot and remaining ingredients. Add an extra splash of balsamic vinegar before serving if you like.

* Alternatively, use pre-cooked beetroot but NOT the kind stored in vinegar, and then roast for half the allocated time mentioned above.